


Powerless Hakurei Tales 11.3:  Interlude

by Carmichael_Micaalus



Series: Powerless Hakurei Tales [12]
Category: Touhou Project
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-19
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-08-25 18:05:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16665637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carmichael_Micaalus/pseuds/Carmichael_Micaalus
Summary: As Reisen tries to handle the demons of her past, Reimu works on helping the Moriya Clan build bridges with the Komeiji family.  While her niece works, Mima conducts a harrowing investigation of her own...





	Powerless Hakurei Tales 11.3:  Interlude

**Author's Note:**

> While I wouldn't say this chapter is super dark compared to people who actually write more realistic/gritty stuff, the subjects of PTSD and depression lead to darker areas than I myself normally write about. Just wanted to give a quick heads up on that since this one delves a little more into that than we've seen.

Interlude (Subterranean Animism Afterparty)

 

“Put that d- _Cirno, put that down._ ”

“Holy shit, you _gotta_ try this-”

“Wait, that’s Reisen’s glass?  This isn’t- _who gave her alcohol?!_ ”

“Bwahaha!  Sorry! My bad, yo!”

“Listen, carebear-”

Her head laying upon the table, Reisen sighed; the voices swirled into one mass as she closed her eyes.  While the greeting of dead lunar citizens and envoys did little to improve things, the room did not spin quite so badly within the darkness; she knew it would not be long before she fell asleep.

The sound continued to fade as her breathing evened out.  Her training had taught her to get her sleep whenever she could; when existience went from ‘at rest’ to ‘life or death’ in the span of a handful of heartbeats, getting sleep whenever one could was paramount.  Indeed, the only thing more important than being able to sleep at any time, was being able to wake up at any time.

 

**_BAM!_ **

 

The sound of the battering ram taking out the door of the barracks was more than dangerous enough to bring the commander to her senses.  Throwing her bedframe up as cover, she could hear the screams of the invaders as combat erupted.

“This is Commander Reisen, the barracks are being overrun!”  She screamed into her earpiece as she felt for a weapon. “I repeat, the barracks are being overrun!  HQ, we require back up!”

An odd buzz returned as she could hear more foreign words shouted.  Finding one of her grenades, she crept towards the edge of her bed.

“HQ, do you respond?!”  She screamed once more, linking a finger through the pin.

“You’re not on Luna anymore, Udongein.”  A voice called out, cutting through the noise.

Reisen blinked.  She understood the individual words, but their combined meaning was lost on her.  The lunar rabbit tried to place the familiar voice… the familiar name.

“<Come back to us, Udongein.>”  The doctor called out in an even tone; it was odd to hear her speaking Lunarian.

Lunarian.

Reisen closed her eyes.

Reisen opened her eyes.

The floor of the shrine’s livingroom greeted her.  Slowly turning her head, she could see the Hakurei’s table was what she had used for her cover.  The lunar rabbit sighed forcefully, her breathing returning in labored gasps from holding it unconsciously.  Gripping the edge, Reisen lowered the table.

All around, faces stared at her in utter silence.  The doctor was impassive; it was hard for the rabbit to tell if she was annoyed at her, or just at the relapse itself.  Next to her, the Scarlet sisters watched; the elder mildly concerned while the younger was simply confused.

Rising up from the floor were the two oni along with Marisa, each hand holding multiple bottles of alcohol which had flown from the table flip.  The two oni glanced at her, curious to see what was going to happen next. Marisa turned away; she knew the magician had no words to give.

Reisen wiped her forehead, the only sound in the room was her panting.   Her body burned with unused adrenaline; she knew it was only a matter of time before the excess of energy became a deficit.  Images of headquarters continued to flash through her mind as she reconfirmed where she was once more. The commander licked her lips, trying to wet them in vain.

“I ah…”  She began to whisper hoarsely before pausing.  She tried to swallow, but found no spit.

The shrine maiden came into view as she lowered her arm.  Reimu’s hands covered her mouth, tears on the verge of overflowing from her blue eyes.

“I think I should go lay down.”  The commander managed to get out.  “Excuse me.”

Moving like mercury, Meiling made her way to Reisen as the rabbit took a tentative step towards the bedrooms.  Still covering her mouth in stark horror, Reimu hesitantly took a step, then another. The shrine maiden was soon at her side with the gate guard, guiding her along the way.

“Hey, show’s over, assholes.”  Mima growled at the rest as the three rounded the corner.  “Yuugi:  outside.  Six cards.”

The two said nothing as they guided her, lightly touching her arms to keep her path straight.  She could feel Reimu’s hand on her back as they moved, providing a lifeline to stay in the present.

“Fuck your rules, Yukari.  This is _my_ _house_ and Reisen is under _my protection_.  Unless you're looking to be that idiot’s proxy- alright then.”

Sliding the door to the guestroom open, Meiling and Reimu escorted her inside.  Not bothering with the lights, the gate guard wrapped her arms around Reisen as the shrine maiden quickly set up a futon.  The rabbit could feel the dragon’s energy swirl around her, calming her. The slight forms in the dark room began to blur.

Small hands wrapped around her own, gently pulling her towards the futon.  Meiling eased off Reisen’s blazer as Reimu loosened her tie. Swaying a bit, the rabbit held out her hands as the two lowered her to the bedding.

Fumbling with the buttons, she let out a groan as she looked at her binding.  Meiling hooked a finger in the top of the chest wrapping; Reisen gave a nod. The talon sliced through the cloth, allowing her to breathe easy once more.

Kneeling at the head of the bedding, the dragon pat her lap.  Reisen laid down, taking the lap pillow.

The shrine maiden sat next to her, gently petting her shoulder; starlight reflected off of her tears.  Reisen slowly reached up, placing a hand on Reimu’s arm.

She pulled the girl down next to her.  Reimu cuddled closer; the rabbit could hear the girl’s sobs becoming harder and harder for her to hold back.

The shrine maiden finally clutched her, her tiny body shaking.

Reisen wrapped her arms around her.  Meiling rest her hands on both of them.

“I- I’m sorry.”

The shrine maiden’s apology was the last thing Reisen heard as sleep overtook her once more.

 

* * *

 

“Leave the cloth.”

Reisen’s hand paused halfway to her face as she realized she was awake.  She blinked as she stared at the darkness.

“Am I speaking too loud?”  She recognized Meiling’s soft voice coming from above and behind.

“N-no.”  The lunar rabbit managed to get out, her mouth dry.

“Alright… it’s light in here, so I didn’t want a potential hangover to get worse.  How are you feeling?”

Reaching forward again, Reisen pulled the cloth off her face and opened her eyes.  Light from the mid-morning sun spilled in behind Meiling, softly illuminating the room.  The dragon continued to brush her hair, smiling down at her.

“Got cottonmouth real bad, but other than that, I think I’m okay.”

“I was told we can rest as long as we need to.”  Meiling informed her as the lunar rabbit sat up, passing her a glass of water.  “If you’d like to sleep for a little longer.”

Drinking in careful sips, Reisen glanced back towards the windows, trying to determine the time.  Shards of memories from the previous night flickered through her mind; she looked around for the shrine maiden.

“Reimu left some time ago.”  The dragon answered the unasked question.  “It took a bit of work to assure her I could take care of you… I don’t think the girl trusted me!”

“Heh…”  She smiled weakly as she finally stood and stretched.  Helping the dragon stand, Reisen pulled the remains of her binding out from her shirt and sighed.

“I think Reimu might-”

“No, no…”  She shook her head, buttoning her top, “the Doc just gets another shirt, that’s all.”

“I think Alice has a spell to…” she glanced at the straining buttons, “unstretch fabric, if you’re interested.”

“Seriously?!”  Reisen glanced up at her.  “Time to reclaim my wardrobe then.”

At any rate…”  Meiling handed the rabbit her blazer, giving her a peck on the cheek, “get some breakfast, okay?  I’ll clean up the room.”

“Thanks.”

“We’ll continue training tomorrow, okay?”  The dragon called as she opened the bedroom door.  “Just take it easy today.”

 

“Hey.”  Sitting on the porch, Mima turned towards the opening door and gave a wave to Reisen.  “How ya feeling?”

Having a better view of the sky, the lunar rabbit could see it was not quite noon.  A few clouds dotted the clear blue sky as Ruukoto shoveled the walkway near the torii.  The gods of Autumn puttered about, still half asleep with their season well over. Every now and then, Reisen could see them pick up a piece of errant trash from the party.

While the view from the shrine was beautiful, most of it was blocked by Yuugi, hanging hogtied from the overhang.  Drifting quietly in the breeze, the beefy oni slowly turned in Reisen’s direction; she smiled brightly as she saw her.

“Hey kid!”  The oni grinned.  “Sorry ‘bout last night.  Didn’t know drinkin’ fucked with your meds.”

Reisen grunted in response, standing next to the lich.  She took in the sight from the porch; it was a view her and the shrine maiden had shared a number of times over the past couple of years.  Even from the base of the mountain, plenty of Gensokyo could be seen from it.

“Head’s still fuzzy, but other than that, I’m fine.”  Reisen responded to Mima, still looking out. “Where’s Reimu?”

“She went out earlier.”  The lich sipped her tea. “Errands and the like.”

The commander felt her eyes drawn to the maid once more.

“That’s what you’re goin’ with?”  Yuugi snickered; Mima’s face darkened.

“Fuck off, it’s not technically a lie.”

“Bwahaha.  If you have to frame your sentence with ‘technically’, you already know you’re wrong.”

“She went to Eientei?” The lunar rabbit guessed.  The lich nodded. As Reisen moved to leave, Mima reached out.

“She has Hourai with her.”  Slowly retracting her hand, Mima motioned to the other side of the teapot.  “Stay for a bit.”

“You can at least appreciate her festive decorations!”  Yuugi chimed in. “You think I made this easy for her?”

The commander chuckled as she sat down, giving the oni another cursory glance.  “Yeah, arright, fair enough. I'll admit, that _is_ impressive.”

The lich poured a second cup of tea for her guest, refilling her own cup in the process.  She gave the rabbit a quick glance as sipped her drink.

“Reimu _does_ have uncut bandages if…”

Reisen grunted.  “Too late for this one, sadly.  Although, Meiling said Alice knows a spell…”

Mima snickered.  “Well… you've seen the girl.”

“Yeah, fair.”

The three watched the horizon.  Ruukoto continued her valiant effort at shoveling, almost making progress.

“... how long ago?”  The spectre quietly asked.

The lunar landscape flashed through her mind.  “About forty years.” She whispered.

“Inutilem deos…” She shook her head and sighed.  “Do they help you at Eientei?”

“Tewi does her best.”  The lunar rabbit nodded.  “The Doc has prescribed meds to keep the night terrors away.  She mentioned something about therapy, but… that was a while ago.”

She glanced at her host.  “Your niece has been an immense boon to me as well.”

“Reimu is always glad to help you; you mean a lot to her.”  Mima gazed at her tea. “And… all of us here appreciate the help you've given her in coping with the sun crow.  I know a wound that large will take awhile to heal, but… with what you did yesterday and the day before has really helped her come to terms.”

“...I understand her grief.”  She nodded. “Even when it's a situation that's out of your hands, you still feel guilt from a thing like that.”

The lunar rabbit could see the lich’s face cloud over from past memories.

“... if you or Tewi ever need a favor from us…”  Mima looked her in the eye. “Just ask. And we will do what we can.”

 

“Really has changed a bunch up here…” Yuugi nodded as they passed over the town.  “Granted, it's been a _hell_ of a long time, so can't say I'm surprised.”

Reisen nodded absentmindedly.  Before she left, Mima made sure there were no hard feelings between her and Yuugi, and had her tag along to fetch Reimu if she remained at Eientei.

“Not much of a talker, are ya?”

“Mm.”  She shrugged.  The oni covered her face, shaking with laughter.

“Arright, I should have expected that one.”  She filled her sake dish, smiling wryly. “Usually don’t have to deal with snarky people your size.”

“I specialized in killing god monsters and defending people looking for a fight.”  She glanced at the beefy underground visitor. “I’m well aware you’re powerful, but I’m not like the tengu or kappa.”

“Mm… so what happened?”

Scenes of the capital and the outlying cities flashed through her mind.  Former superiors faded in and out as bodies stacked like cordwood remained as afterimages.  The smell of smoke and charred meat filled her nostrils as screams of terror and rage echoed through her head.

“...I put too much together.”  Reisen whispered. “And I realized how many innocents stained my hands.”

“Yukari mentioned something about an invasion of the Moon?”

The lunar rabbit shook her head.

“There was no invasion.”

Yuugi turned towards her; while she was not exactly friends with Yukari, she knew the sage youkai rarely peddled false information without reason.  “What do you mean?”

“A human nation barely learned space flight and wanted to lord their accomplishment over others.  The leaders in the capital saw it as a prime opportunity to declare martial law and snuff out dissention.”

Blood stained her vision as she looked at the bamboo surrounding them.  Memories of the envoys on their knees awaiting their execution came back to her.  The commander looked in the direction of her crash landing from four decades ago.

“It wasn’t an invasion, it was civil war.”

Yuugi’s hamfist landed on Reisen’s shoulder, patting her roughly.

“Well… you’re still alive.”  The oni nodded. “They weren’t able to bring you down or break you.  That takes strength.”

The rest of the journey to Eientei was quiet, the silence only interrupted as Yuugi refilled her dish every once and awhile.

Landing outside the mansion, the oni kicked off her geta as the commander removed her boots.  Opening the door, Reisen let the visitor in and lead her to the Hospital Wing; her pace began to slow as she looked at the terran bunnies milling about, close to the office.  Reisen’s hand clamped down on an orderly’s shoulder.

“What’s going on?”  She demanded. “There are way too many people out here.  Is no one inside?”

“A-ah!”  She flinched, taking a step back.  The orderly tried to look anywhere other than Reisen’s glare, causing her to notice the oni.  Colour drained from her face as she took another step back. “N-n-nothing- nothing wrong, ser!”

The commander grit her teeth, pulling the girl back.  There were only a handful of people who would make the bunnies hesitate to tell Reisen anything.

“...where’s Tewi?”  She asked, her voice violently calm.  The orderly pointed a shaky arm towards the offices and general care.  Letting out a sigh, Reisen released the girl’s shoulder. “Get everyone under control here… and breathe.”

“S-s-s-ser.”  Getting the other’s attention, the bunnies of Eientei quickly grouped up and left the halls, leaving the two alone once more.  Shaking her head, Reisen continued to the offices.

Rounding the corner, the commander spotted her companion standing outside of General Care.  The leader of the terran bunnies blinked in surprise at her lunar counterpart, freezing in place.  Sitting on her shoulder was Hourai Doll, appearing very nervous.

“...Reisen.”  Tewi slowly nodded, her voice low.

“What’s going on?”  The commander asked, following suit.  “Why are you so shocked to see me?”

“I wasn’t, I was just surprised to see you with-” Turning her attention to Yuugi, Tewi’s eyes went wide as she took a step back.  “What the f-?!” She slammed her face into her palms, realizing she had already blown her lie. “Shouldn’t you be in Hell, Yuugi?”

“Shouldn’t you by now?”  The oni smirked, taking a sip.

Before she could turn the thumbscrews, Reisen’s ear twitched, catching the voices in the office.  Tewi grimaced.

“-just not a good time.” The doctor sighed, the lunar rabbit could hear the thinning patience in her voice.  “I’m sorry, but-”

"You have said that, but you haven’t told me _why_ , doctor!”

Reisen straightened at the sound of Reimu’s voice.

“Do you need assistance with things?  Are you short-handed? _I am willing to help._  I know I don’t know medicine at the levels you need, but I can still help with inventory, or fill in for someone who does know!  If it's-”

“ **Reimu-** ”  Eirin’s curt voice suddenly cut her off.  “This is not up for discussion, and you are disrupting work here in the hospital.   **Leave.** ”

Tewi and Reisen winced; both were far more familiar with the doctor when she snapped than anyone else.

The lunar rabbit’s anxiety began to crawl up her back in the ensuing silence, wondering what was keeping the shrine maiden from leaving.

“...no.”  Reimu’s crackling voice finally responded.  “...I… refuse… to give up oh her.”

“Damn, girl.”  Yuugi mumbled, her eyebrows raised.

“You are _testing my patience-!_ ”

“The Grand Justice of Heaven _herself_ asked me to help her, Doctor Yagokoro.”  The shrine maiden continued on, strength entering her wavering tone.  “ _That_ is how bad her pain is.  She is my friend, and I will continue to do everything I can to ease her pain.  Because I know she would do the same for me. Because I know she _deserves it_.  Because it’s _the right thing to do!_ ”

Reisen covered her mouth with a hand; her vision became blurry.  She could feel Tewi place a hand on her back.

“But I can’t do it alone Doctor.”  Reimu sniffed.  “Last- last night made that clear to me.  Even if I’m doing all I can, it’s still not enough.”

“Reimu,”  The doctor sighed once more, the fire in her voice gone, “I-”

“I couldn’t reach her.” She pressed on.  “She was in her deepest Hell, and I could do _nothing_.”  There was a pause.  “But you were able to.  You pulled her back out.  You understand what she needs.”

“No; Reimu, it’s not-”

There was a long silence, punctuated by sniffs from Reimu’s nose.

“...can you at least tell me why?”

After another long pause, they could hear the doctor let out a heavy sigh.

“...time flows differently for me, compared to you, or even Reisen.”  She answered, her voice hard to hear.

“That doesn’t-”

“Please Reimu,” Eirin pleaded with the shrine maiden.  “I- I have surgeries to perform today.  I need to be able to concentrate on the task at hand when the time comes.”

“...very well, Doctor.  But I will be back.”

“I understand.”

The door clicked open as Reimu walked out, her head hung low.  Facing the wall as she closed the door, her body began to shiver.

“I-I’m sorry, Miss Tewi.”  She wiped her eyes with a sleeve.  “I just- I need a minute or two. I’m sorry, I just-”

“U-um.”  The bunny croaked out.  Raising her head, the shrine maiden turned to the lunar rabbit and gasped.

“I- I- I’m sorry, I-”

Reisen’s vision continued to worsen; she sniffed her nose as she held her arms open to her friend.  Reimu latched onto her.

“Thank you…”  Reisen clenched her eyes shut, sending tears down her cheeks as she hugged the girl close.  “Thank you, Reimu…”

 

Setting her glasses down, Eirin rubbed her temples.  The shrine maiden’s visit had been expected, but she had underestimated the girl’s tenacity.  Both the Princess and Tewi had mentioned the girl had heavily chastised Kaguya for her Trial of Guts from when they first met, but Eirin herself had not been involved in that particular meeting.

Once more, her mind returned to the thought of her student’s outburst; it had been well over two decades since the last occurrence.  While she had been able to bring her back, the doctor did not have the heart to inform the shrine maiden just how much had been luck.

The door clicked shut.  Lowering her hand, she turned to see Reisen glancing to the side.

“Ah… Udongein.”  She nodded, her defenses immediately raising.  It was rather common for the lunar rabbit to avoid eye contact as her wave manipulation never rested, but the doctor knew their timing was rather close to the shrine maiden’s departure.  She watched the Reisen walk over to the supply closet. “I… wasn’t sure if you were going to be able to work today. If you need to r-”

“You have a number of surgeries today.”  She whispered, fetching a roll of bandages.  “You will need assistance. I will be ready in a few minutes.”

“Thank… thank you.”  The doctor coughed, looking at her clipboard.  Reimu’s words swirled around her head, flanking with the memory of Reisen’s flashback.  Sighing, she looked up at her student once more. “We- we can talk later tonight… if you would like.”

Her back to Eirin, Reisen removed her shirt and began to bind her chest.

“...as you wish.”

 

* * *

 

“Oh… that’s actually good now.”

Reimu slowly opened her eyes, squinting at the light.

“Man, fuck you; it always tastes good!”

Yuugi’s deep chuckle rumbled from above her at the retort from Marisa.  Lifting her head, Reimu could see she was in a field about a stone’s throw from the village, resting on the massive oni’s lap.  Next to her was Marisa and Hourai, the small doll holding Yuugi’s oversized sake dish. In the magician’s lap rested a bottle of her infamous charcoal-filtered vodka, bought from a less than dubious individual, made in a less than legal still.

“No Marisa.”  Hourai stated patiently, handing the dish back to the oni.  “It normally tastes like a solvent elemental’s asshole. Oh!”  The doll smiled up at Reimu. “How ya feelin’?”

“Mm.”  She rubbed her eyes and looked at the three faces staring back at her.  As the fog dispersed from her mind, she recalled talking to Yuugi, their conversation about nothing becoming disjointed before things slipped to black.

She had known since she had left that it was going to be a difficult task, talking to the doctor about Reisen’s therapy.  Hourai had done her best to warn the shrine maiden that their first meeting was likely to have little progress, but it was still a bitter pill to swallow after the fact.  Immediately learning that Reisen had overheard both of them losing their temper drained what little reserves she had left, causing the trip home to take its toll on her.

“Sorry if I woke ya!”  Marisa grinned, taking a seat on the other half of Yuugi’s lap.  She pulled Reimu close to her, rubbing her shoulder. “Heard you did well against Eirin!”

“I’m… not actually a chair, folks.”  The oni’s comment was interrupted by Marisa’s bottle of subpar alcohol being set in her free hand.  The shrine maiden shook her head as Yuugi passed the girl her dish.

“I wasn’t… I couldn’t get her to…”

“Hey.”  Marisa pulled her close.  “Talkin’ to the Doc is like talkin’ to Yukari; they’re going to put their feet in a bunch, you know?  You remember what Reisen and the princess have said about lunarian high society; Eirin took no shit from those people while she was there, _and_ remained on top until _she_ decided to leave.”

There was a noise of displeasure as the oni took a pull from the bottle.  She looked at the offensive vodka, frowning.

“This… is technically alcohol.”  She stated. Hourai threw out a hand.

“ _Thank_ you!”

The magician rolled her eyes and continued to talk to her sister.  “And hell, you remember when we followed Patche and them to the moon and ran into the two Prin-”

“We **do not.** Talk.  About the Moon Incident.”  The doll snapped. Marisa held up her hands and nodded.

“No- no, you’re right, my bad.”  She grinned. “It’s my rule, after all.”

“...Princess Yorihime was really mean…”  The shrine maiden mumbled.

“ **DO NOT.** ”  She reached up and bapped Reimu’s ear with her tiny hand; the shrine maiden smiled weakly.

“Sorry, Hourai.”

“Honestly-” Yuugi started as she took her sake dish back, filling it with vodka.  “-you did just fine. I mean, I thought you just used your cute looks or somethin’ to get your way, but you really stood up to her!  I’m legit impressed! When she was all ‘fuck you, get out of my office!’-”

“Sh-she didn’t say it like that…”  Reimu murmured.

“And you were all ‘Fuck _you_ , bitch!  The yamaxanadu-’”

“I- I didn’t say it like that!”  Reimu panicked.

“-‘told me to help her!’  I mean hell, you _do_ understand you got her to back down, right?  _She answered your question_.”

“Y-yes, but-!”  Balling her fists, the shrine maiden turned and looked up at the oni.  “I’m- I’m scared for Reisen!”

Swirling the alcohol around, Yuugi took a sip, pleased with the improved taste granted by the dish.  “Pft, everyone gets scared, kiddo. Just don’t let the fear make you do dumb stuff.”

“But-!”

“Arright, arright, arright- look… one more tidbit of advice, and then we head back, okay?”  Finishing her drink, Yuugi placed a hand on Reimu’s head, causing the girl to scrunch down. “If you really want to help her, don’t treat her any different.  You guys share your problems with one another, right?”

“Yes.”

“I’m guessin’ if she learned something about one of your problems, and then stopped tellin’ you about hers, it’d probably hurt, right?”

Giving the question serious thought, the shrine maiden slowly nodded.  “Yes… it would.”

“See?  Even if you think you’d be burdening her less, I bet she’d feel the same.  She’s not damaged goods. She’s a person. One that’s seen some fucked up shit, yeah, but still a person.  And remember - you’re not her only friend. You don’t have to handle the fight all by yourself. Sometimes you just need to get the ball rolling to make the others to stop fartin’ around… it’s not like you were all that quiet there, heh!”

“Just try to concentrate on the fact that the Doc acknowledged she wasn’t doin’ the right thing, and Reisen was happy for you trying.”  Marisa pulled her sister close as the two vacated the oni’s lap, allowing her to stand once more. She pulled her into a hug as Yuugi stretched.  “These things take time… and the fact you’re in her corner and she knows it helps her a lot.”

“Thank you, Marisa…” The shrine maiden smiled up at her sister.  “It really helps to hear that.”

“Tell ya what!”  The magician smiled as she started to walk towards the town.  “Let’s do a little shopping ‘fore we head back; make a nice lunch for today!”

“That’s great and all, but I’m supposed to get her back to the shrine.”  Yuugi commented, following the sisters. The doll glanced back.

“Might as well tag along.  As long as you’re with Reimu, I doubt many people will care.”

“Eh, as long as I get fed, I guess.”

 

* * *

 

“...and of course you take the quarter-tonne demon into the middle of town,” Yukari gripped her temples and sighed, watching the four through the gap.  “Brilliant, Reimu.”

The lich chuckled as she blew out a cloud of smoke, extinguishing the cherry.  “Oh relax, Yuugi’s not going to flip her shit in town.”

“Well aware, Mima.”  The sage commented, her tone more amused than annoyed.  “Honestly, she did a good job talking to the youkai of the underworld; I suspect most will be able to reintegrate here without much issue if they so desire.”

“You _could_ have told her that’s what you were trying to do, you know.”

“Mm, perhaps.”  Reaching over, Yukari took a sip of her tea.  The shrine maiden fell back into her typical mindset within the town, introducing the various residents to the oni with a smile on her face.  “I generally try to talk to Alice about such things first, as she tends to know how to guide her properly. But since we lacked the time to do that, I simply used old methods which I knew would work.”

“Hm.  Well- ah…”

Both the sage and the magician grinned as they watched Keine cover her face, trying her hardest to explain her concern about the Hakurei’s New Best Friend without offending anyone.  To everyone’s surprise, Yuugi herself chimed in, helping the Hakutaku explain her case.

“I felt there was a strong chance Yuugi was in charge down there, what with Suika on her walkabout.”  Yukari nodded as Reimu began her worried counter-argument to the local town defender and the oni. “As much as she likes to fight, she knows the importance of guidelines and civilization.”

The lighter made its way to the pipe once more.  “Yeah, her mind’s in the right place.” Mima nodded.  “Good leader.”

“If the oni return, they’ll need to do it slowly as not to completely disrupt everything…”

“I suppose making the entire tengu and kappa races shit themselves to death _would_ be bad…”  The lich nodded.  “I mean, the smell alone for here, let alone at the Moriya Shrine…”

Yukari covered her eyes with a hand, groaning.

“Sorry, that was rude of me.”  Mima held out a hand, grinning broadly.  “Continue?”

“No, the moment’s passed.”

The lich rubbed her fists on her cheeks, drying her fake tears as the sage youkai glared into the gap.

“At any rate, have you planned a time for your meeting between the Moriya Clan and Komeiji’s Family?”

“I think Reimu’s aiming for a week or so.”  Mima returned to her pipe, reloading the bowl.  “Kanako’s still out of commission, but I guess she’s healing at a good clip; I think Alice was planning to send a doll back with Yuugi so they could arrange the time a little better.  To be honest, I’d like Reimu to be in a better frame of mind as well; she still feels responsible for the sun crow’s death.”

Yukari shook her head.  “She could stand to strengthen her resolve.”

Expecting a response which never came, the sage glanced towards her companion.  Mima continued to stare forward, blowing out a thick cloud of smoke. Taking another glance at what remained, she lit her pipe once more.

Placing the glass bead over the burning cherry, Mima faced Yukari and held out the pipe.  Through the rage and resolve, the sage youkai could see the razor intellect shine through her eyes.  Though dulled from insanity followed by lack of use, every once and awhile Yukari could see the obsidian sharpness the lich once possessed as a human; every year it seemed to return a little more often.

“Reimu is our moral baseline.”  She finally answered as Yukari took the pipe.  The sage youkai could hear the restraint in her voice.  “What we put upon her, we put upon Gensokyo. If she is horrified by what has been done for survival, then we need to consider our actions.”

“I’m not denying what happened to the Yatagarasu is unfortunate, but-”

“The sun crow got what they fucking deserved.”

Realizing she was not going to get a chance to speak, Yukari lit the pipe as Mima continued on.

“They were an idiot that made a jump without looking when they had no way to catch themself.  But that’s not the point.” Hunching over, Mima stretched her wings before melding them back into her cape once more.  “That was a decision Reimu should _not_ have had to make alone.”

Yukari’s face darkened.  “I had. No. Choice.”

“Your reason _is_ valid, Yukari.”  She gave a nod before blowing out the ash.  “The border was in danger; had you not left, Gensokyo would have been lost.   _However_.  Reimu still ended up alone, and that falls on me as much as you and the other two; I should have broken your rule of non-interference as soon as the oni left, but I didn’t.”

The lich’s jaw set as her mind returned to the incident.  “And because of that, she had to save Utsuho alone by reminding a _fucking god not to murder indiscriminately_ .  Tell me Yukari, what do you think would happen if the Yatagarasu had won, and then the _Grand Justice spotted them?_ ”

The sage youkai sat back and touched her temple, shuddering.  “Seeing a god walking around in the corpse of a non-believer, one related to the person regulating Old Hell on Shiki Eiki’s behalf?  No. No, I have _enough_ nightmares, thank you very much.”

“Exactly.  And despite all that, it’s still a stain on her soul.  A stain which _we should have shared_ .”  Touching her teacup, there was a burst of flame, bringing the tea back to a desired temperature.  “As far as she’s concerned, that death is on Gensokyo, and that horrifies her. That will take far longer than a week for her to accept, but she knows Satori’s anger is legitimate, and she doesn’t want _her_ to hurt.”

“As I said, she could stand to strengthen her resolve.”

Reheating the sage’s tea, Mima gave her a withering glare.  “You mean her heart could use some callouses.”

“Am I wrong?”

“As someone who is actually _stained_ with the blood of innocents?  Yes. You are.” Before Yukari could retort, Mima pressed on.  “What happened to Marisa… when Sanae threatened us? What happened to her… when Kasen kidnapped Reimu?  What happened to her… when Reimu went missing in Old Hell?”

She leaned towards the sage youkai, her lip curled.  “Marisa inherited my rancor, Yukari. Right now the _only_ thing which keeps the seal on that… is Reimu.  But if my niece closes her heart? If she becomes more like me, full of hate, or Keine, full of suspicion?  Marisa will eventually unravel, and that won’t end well for Gensokyo, for that will put you against her and I.”

Leaning back, the lich picked up her teacup and took a sip.  “Until I can help my daughter cope and accept that, Reimu needs to grow like she has been.  She keeps us honest, and I think we both know that’s important for Gensokyo right now.”

“...I will grant you that.”  The sage youkai acquiesced, turning her attention back to the gap monitor.  It would not be long before they returned. “I just wish we had better conditions for all of this.”

“That’s what we’re working on.”  Looking out at the walkway, Mima shook her head and groaned.  “Ruukoto, just- you did good dear, but step to the side please.”

“Thank You, Magister.”  Standing near the small branch shrine of the Moriya’s, the atomic maid watched as the lich let out a gout of flame, melting the snow in the walkway.  “One Day, The Grounds Shall Know The Absence Of Snow.”

“Yeah, we call that ‘Spring,’ sweetie.  Now get the kitchen ready please, they’ll be home soon.”

 

* * *

 

“Reisen, dear.”

The commander paused and turned towards Princess Kaguya.  She gave the exiled royalty a nod as she loosened her tie.

“Ah, your highness.  Sorry if you were looking for me earlier-”

The princess simply smiled, patting her on the shoulder.

“Thank you for your hard work today.”

“Oh… no problem.” She glanced towards her bedroom once more.  “I was uh… I was going to take a-”

Well aware of her military commander’s escape tactics, Kaguya continued on in a gentle tone.  “Eirin is waiting for you in her office near her room.”

Reisen blinked, pulling away from the Princess.  While the rabbit was certain she could get away, the brazen lie made her curious as to where Kaguya was going with her tale.

“...’office’?  You- you mean her _storage_ room?”  She asked, raising an eyebrow.  “Did she get stuck again?” Kaguya giggled, bringing an oversized sleeve to her mouth.

“No, no!  Inaba and I cleaned it out while you and Eirin were busy saving lives!  I… had to use my power to clean it in time, mind-”

Reisen chuckled; since her arrival, she had never seen the back wall of the room in question.

“-but you can actually walk in there and not feel claustrophobic now!  Granted, some books still remain…”

“Even after using your power?”

“Well…” The princess shrugged, looking mildly chagrined.  “Even Eternity has its limits, dear.”

“No it doesn’t, that’s what the word _means…_ ”  The rabbit muttered as she covered her face, shaking with laughter.  Kaguya took the opportunity to link their arms, gently pulling her towards the living quarters.  Knowing better than to inquire about Reisen’s day, the princess took the opportunity to update the rabbit about her recent meetings with Mokou.  While the commander was less than surprised about the outcome of the story, she had been kept distracted until their arrival.

“I’m… sorry it took us this long to do this for you, dear.”  Kaguya reached up and gave Reisen’s good ear a rub. “You have been so kind to us, and we have been so negligent.  It would be one thing if we at least had an excuse of some sort, but…”

“You have kept me clothed and fed.”  The lunar rabbit interrupted, keeping her gaze averted.  “You gave me the help I needed to function.”

Standing on her tiptoes, Kaguya pulled the rabbit ear down, kissing the end.  “Well, remember we love you, Reisen. You are our family. And like you always tell the little shrine maiden, let us know if you’re in pain.  We… are not always observant, as you may have noticed.”

“I… I will try, your highness.”  Reisen whispered. She could see the princess smile sadly.

“Thank you.  Now…” She slid the door open and nodded.

Stepping inside, Reisen could see the radical change the room had undergone.  What used to be a twisted, narrow passage through boxes, books, manuals, and other supplies from floor to ceiling, had become a clean room one could walk into and turn around in.  Against the far wall was a couch the commander recognized from one of the various storage sheds. Next to it was a chair of the same make, holding Eirin.

“Ah, welcome Udongein.”  She motioned to the couch as the rabbit hung her blazer on the rack nearby.  “We’re… _finally ready_ to go ahead with this.  I’m sorry about the delay.”

“It’s alright…” Reisen mumbled as she sat down, “it was a messy room.”

The doctor smiled, despite herself.

“Indeed.  I… well, any flimsy excuse I could make can wait.  I’m sure you’re aware of this, but this will not be _the_ session, but simply the first of many.”

“Yeah.”  Reisen nodded, laying on the couch.

“I’m afraid we’re going to have to reopen a number of old wounds, but… before long, I promise you, you will feel better.”

“...thank you.”

Now…” Eirin opened her journal; Reisen continued to stare at the ceiling.  “I would like you to think back… and tell me about your time on Luna.”

  


 

Interlude (A Week Later)

 

The sun continued its crawl across the sky, gifting the Hakurei Shrine with plenty of light.  Reimu wiped her brow as she reached the torii, finished with her shovelling. The backyard, the main walkway, and even the path to the Moriya’s branch shrine were all clear and easy to walk upon.  Hourai leaned against her charge as they looked out over Gensokyo; it was another clear winter morning for the two to enjoy.

“...Mother is preparing some sigils to heat the walkway tiles.”  The doll whispered. “I figured it’s probably not a good idea to use salt today.”

“Mm.”  The shrine maiden nodded, still taking in the view.  “Better safe than sorry.”

“Are you alright?”

“I’m… worried.”  She turned back towards the shrine, making her way to the living quarters.  “I know it’s because I’ll be confronting it again, but…”

“That’s understandable.”  Hourai nodded. While Reimu’s overall mood had improved over the week, the doll was in the best position to notice the shrine maiden’s mood swings over the others.  “Just do what you can, arright? That's all you gotta worry about. And if they act up…” she shrugged. “Well, we'll take a break while the others sort ‘em out. Honestly though, from what I could feel from Kanako, she wants this to work out.”

The two looked up as the shrine door opened.  Alice quietly approached, holding a scroll.

“Good morning Alice.”  Reimu smiled up at the puppeteer.

“Good morning, you two.”  Alice stroked the girl’s hair, indulging in the moment before returning to her task at hand.  She held up the scroll to her daughter. “Here’s what’s needed for the walkway.”

“Thank you, Mother.”

“Reimu, would you like my assistance with the meeting today?”

The shrine maiden’s grip on the broom tightened as she considered the question; her face softened as she looked up at her friend once more.

“I believe I should be good… at the very least, I believe I should try.  Besides,” her eyes moved to her shoulder, “I have Hourai with me.”

“So I should be able to contact you if anything catastrophic happens.”  The doll nodded.

“I think she meant she’ll have your advice and guidance if she’s uncertain of anything.”  Her mother corrected, raising an eyebrow. Hourai frowned.

“Wha- why would you want that, Reimu?  Did you catch a cold?” The doll placed a hand on the shrine maiden’s forehead; Reimu giggled.

“Alright then.”  Alice sighed and looked out over Gensokyo.  “Mima asked me to… fetch something; I fear it may take some time to get.”

“Well, Auntie usually doesn’t ask for things, so…” She nodded.  “I think it’d be best for me to let you do that.” The shrine maiden pulled herself to Alice’s side; the puppeteer rest a hand on her shoulder.  “Plus, I _am_ feeling better thanks to all of you.  I’ll admit it still hurts, but… it’s more of a sorrow now, instead of a… a horrible guilt.”

“I’m glad we’ve been able to help you, Reimu.”

The morning breeze picked up momentarily as they stood in silence, watching the world go by.

“Well…” Alice sighed.  “As Hourai likes to say ‘the sooner we go, the sooner we return’.”  She gave Reimu’s shoulder a squeeze before letting go. “Take care, sweetie.  At the latest, I’ll be back to prepare dinner for you.”

“Thanks Alice.”  Reimu beamed up at the puppeteer.  “Take care of yourself, and I’ll let you know how things go when you return.”

 

* * *

 

Feeling someone walk through the torii, Mima glanced up as she primed her pipe.  Letting out a sigh, she tucked the glass piece away as she stood. “Sanae, go grab your trouble-making parents.”

Ignoring the wind charmer’s correction, Mima made her way towards the Komeiji family being escorted by her daughter.  While the two animalistic youkai focused their attention on the lich, Satori’s glare was locked on Sanae. The mind reader let out a gasp as the two behind her grabbed her shoulders, preventing her from colliding with Mima.

Muttering a word of thanks to her pets, Satori peered up at the spirit.

“Lady Satori Komeiji, I take it?”  Mima asked.

“...Mima?”  Satori blinked.  “Gods, you’re still _around?_  You look like shit… but, where is your mind?”  Before the lich could respond, the mind reader’s brow twitched.  “Okuu, Orin, go- go make a donation at the shrine. You saw what Reimu looked like, poor girl could probably use money for a sandwich.”

As the two passed her, Mima let out a sigh.  Marisa gave the mind reader a look.

“...yes, I’m Satori.”  She returned the magician’s glance before turning her attention back to the lich.  “I’m guessing you don’t remember me. I suppose we never did talk much, though.”

“My… transfer to non-life was not a smooth one.”  She explained, trying to move over the subject quickly.  “There’s a lot I’ve forgotten. As far as my mind, I’ve used magic to keep it from your sight.  My niece does her best work _without_ my colour commentary being heard.  But don’t worry,” she glanced towards the donation box, “my only involvement in this is making sure people don’t start talking with their fists while Reimu is in the room.”

The group watched as the hell raven reached for the rope and gave it a shake.  Before she could clap her hands, the shrine door flew open with a loud _clack_.  Still in her nightgown, Shizuha glared up at the hell raven, bags under her eyes.

“ _No_.”  She shook a finger at her.  The god turned her attention to the kasha.  “Same goes for you.”

With the prayers answered, the door slammed shut.  Satori covered her face with a hand as she shook her head.

“What did they-?”  Marisa started as the two returned.

“‘Give me Reimu’ and ‘give me a bunch of corpses’ respectively.”  The mind reader muttered. Marisa let out a grunt of a laugh.

“Master…!  The gods are mean!”  Orin called out, returning to her side.

“What did you expect?”  Mima chuckled.

Before either could respond, there was a flash of light from the Moriya’s diminutive branch shrine.  The mind reader’s dark look returned as the two gods and wind charmer made their way towards Mima.

With both hands on the head of her cane, Satori glared up at Kanako as she came to a stop.  The mind reader’s lip curled as the hell raven’s eyes narrowed, recognizing the god of wind and rain.

“Greetings,” Kanako bowed, “I am-”

“You’re the bastard that tried to destroy my pet’s soul.”

An icy silence fell over the shrine grounds.  Sighing to herself, Mima removed the flask from her sleeve.

Once again, the doors to the shrine opened.  Closing the door behind herself, Reimu quietly walked over to the group.  A warm smile covered her face as she bowed before the ones gathered.

“Apologies for the delay, everyone.”

Tensions began to ease as Reimu introduced the groups to one another, explaining their duties and positions of power to each side.  Mima noticed even the mind reader’s mood seemed to lighten; her niece’s mind appeared to be a much more pleasant sight than the others.

While Satori still remained in the forgotten parts of her brain, the lich had done some research on her race after the subterranean incident.  While the satori could ‘only’ read surface thoughts, Mima knew it was easy enough to prime a mind for information by simply asking a question. Even if the person refused to answer, an untrained mind would still immediately be drawn to what they knew upon sight or sound.

Mima was certain her own training was more than enough to block her out, but she saw no reason to take the chance.  After all, it was not unreasonable to assume her power to be stronger than most, given her station in Old Hell.

She knew Marisa’s mind was not likely to leak if she were outside the meeting room; the other minds present would be more than enough to occupy Satori’s sixth sense.  The training they had given Reimu seemed to help the shrine maiden keep her mind on the task at hand, but Mima was uncertain how well it would last if the meeting ran for long.

At the same time, she knew there was nothing she could do about it.  Nothing which her niece would approve of, anyway.

“Now,” with introductions done, Reimu motioned to the shrine, “it’s much warmer inside.  Please follow me, everyone!”

 

“Alright, here are the rules.”  Mima stood behind Reimu as everyone took a seat around the table.  “No unprovoked attacks anywhere within the shrine grounds. No fighting within the buildings.  If you have to resort to violence before continuing, you need to keep your battles to three cards or less.”  She looked back and forth between all the heavy hitters at the table. “I’m sure your anger is _totally justified_ and shit, but we have lives outside of this mess.”

As Sanae rubbed her temples, Mima placed her hands on Reimu’s shoulders.  “This is your mediator. You will listen to her. Yes, even when she asks you to wait your turn.  Yes, even when she asks you to stop shouting. No matter how much louder you are than her, _you will listen._ ”

There was a pause as she stared at Utsuho, glancing about the room.

“...hell raven?”

Her red eyes made their way back to the lich; she raised an eyebrow.

“...did you hear that?”  Everyone could hear the thinning patience with every word.  “Are you already breaking the rules about _listening?_ ”  Utsuho frowned.

“Mostly?”  The hell raven shrugged, looking just as annoyed as the lich.  “Just- ‘don’t be a jackass’, basically?”

Satori covered her face as Mima’s eye twitched.

“...pay attention, bird.”  Once more, she redirected her attention to the group.  “Don’t be a jackass, keep this civil. If Reimu tells you to quiet down, listen.  If you don’t, _Hourai_ will warn you.  If you ignore her warning, **_I_** will come in here.  You don’t want that.”

The rules delivered, the spectre made to leave before pausing.  “Oh,” she turned back, her tone gaining an edge, “and if any of you strike the kid, I will strike you _down_.  It will be painful, and your family will have nightmares about it for years.”

The lights dimmed as her eyes flared brightly.  “Do _not…_ cross me on this.”

She could hear her niece start her opening statement as the door closed, leaving Mima with Marisa on the veranda.

“Not holdin’ back this time?”  Her daughter asked, gnawing on a piece of jerky.  The human magician sat with a beat-up book in her lap, transcribing a scroll.

“It doesn’t take an inquisitor to see Satori is looking for blood.  I don’t blame her, of course, but…” she passed her pipe to her daughter, “she needs to bring that down a notch.  And while I don’t _think_ the Moriya clan are up to any more than they said they are… just in case…”

Handing the pipe back, Marisa tore off a chunk of her impromptu lunch.  “...would you be able to stop them if they attacked?”

She stared at the remains of the bowl as she thought of what she knew of the two.  “Kanako specializes in combat and war, while Suwako is one of the most cunning minds I’ve encountered… and both of them are old gods.”  Taking a hit, she blew the ash out of her pipe. “If they both went at her at once… I don’t think I could. But… that would leave Sanae open.  And they know I would not miss that opportunity.”

“Mm.”  Marisa continued to write.  “Even with Hourai?”

“Her mastery over abjuration continues to impress me, but without the spell card rules, against two of them, the best she could do is give Reimu the second she needs to accept Shinki’s bargain.”

The magician frowned as she thought about the outcome described.  “And that’s not- yeah…”

“Yeah…” Mima nodded.  “I mean, I’m all about saving her soul and shit, of course!  But uh… I’d still prefer a scenario where she _lives_ , ya know?”

The pen jerked away from the scroll as Marisa began to giggle.

“Maybe- maybe we should stop thinkin’ about this-”

“Yeah.   _Yeah._ ”  Mima shook her head as she reloaded the pipe.  “Heavens and _Hells_ , it never used to take so much energy to be so paranoid…”

The lich let her mind wander as the two continued to talk, the sun reaching its zenith.  Every once and awhile, she would turn her attention back to what her daughter was working on, curious enough to pay attention, but not enough to question her.  She recognized the scroll as the work of Patchouli, but whatever Marisa was writing was closer to the schools which the lich herself had taught the girl.

“No- no, fuck you, you’ve toed the line too many times.”

The two turned to the doors as they heard Hourai reprimand someone.

“Do I look like a yama?  No. No, I don’t. What I _look like_ is someone who is sick of your shit.  Because I am. Outside: two cards.”

“Well.”  Mima hunkered down to protect the flame from the wind.  “Sounds like things are going swimmingly.”

 

* * *

 

After her battle with the surprisingly agile doll, Satori calmed down to a degree, allowing her to look at the meeting with a critical eye.  From what she could read of everyone, they seemed to have told the truth regarding their ignorance of Utsuho’s intelligence. While confirming it helped ease her rage, she was still not in the mood to cut any sort of deal with them.

“That’s one-third.”

Reimu blinked as everyone turned to Utsuho; the tiny girl’s serene mindscape smushed momentarily from the interruption.

“I’m sorry, Divinity?”  The mediator asked.

The hell raven glanced at Kanako before looking down at Reimu.  For a brief moment, there was clarity from the bronze giant; thousands upon thousands of values surrounded Satori’s pet.  Unlike Utsuho, the mind reader had no knowledge of their meaning. “The value she gave isn’t half capacity of the reactor, it’s one-third.”

“...oh.”  Kanako stated, nonplussed.  While the information was in her favor, the sudden correction from the one who had not been paying attention had thrown a bottle of ink onto her speech.  As the shrine maiden’s attention was drawn to Kanako, the god quickly factored in the new information, crunching numbers for the rest of her pitch.

“You were saying, Divinity Yasaka?”  The girl prompted in a gentle tone. The various values for her plans minimized as she returned to her practiced speech, cleaned and corrected.

“Ah!  Apologies.”  Kanako nodded and looked at Satori once more.  “But with the current plans utilizing up to a third of the reactor’s potential…”

Satori’s sigh remained inward as she listened to the god ramble on about their plan for an industrial revolution.  Even though she could see the benefit to Gensokyo and even Old Hell, it was taking all of the mind reader’s strength to not simply dissolve into a puddle of bored tears.

While she was unable to read the subconscious of a person, Satori had learned to pick up on various moods and emotions which always coloured thoughts in certain ways.  As Kanako spoke, Satori realized she was seeing a similarity across the room, a feeling she herself was experiencing.

“Well,” the mind reader sighed, the god finally taking a break in her speech, “I believe it’s safe to say the only question on my mind is the same one the rest of you are wondering…”

Satori turned to Reimu.

“‘When do we eat?’”

Light-hearted chuckles covered the thoughts of everyone’s hunger grabbing their attention; Reimu glanced at the clock as she calculated how long they went beyond their intended stopping point.

“Ah!  Apologies, Lady Komeiji.”  Reimu bowed, blushing. “Let me-”

A silhouette of a tall woman standing in the kitchen flashed through her mind.

“Ah- forgive me, this may take a moment longer; I’m afraid the one I usually rely on for food had an errand to run today.”  As she stood, she turned to the hallway. “Ruukoto, dear?”

As the inventory of what was present in the shrine maiden’s kitchen filled Reimu’s mind, a strong thought of disastrous dishes filled the head of the wind charmer.

“Reimu, how about _I_ give you a hand instead…”

“That will not be necessary, Divinity Kochiya.”  Reimu’s thoughts remained on lunch as she shut down Sanae, reminding the wind charmer’s status as a patron while simultaneously defending her maid’s honour.  Satori felt her eye twitch as the the maid entered, the machine mind surprising her.

As the mind reader adjusted to the new presence, Reimu turned her way; thoughts of empty plates before the three.  “Ah, apologies Lady, but do you or your pets have any dietary restrictions?”

“What I have seen you think about will be fine.”  Satori nodded; the mediator smiled.

“Very well.  Lunch will be ready shortly.”

 

“Miss Hakurei.”

Reimu looked up at the mind reader and smiled.  (Lady Satori.) She bowed as Satori took a seat next to her.  “How are you?”

“I am well, dear.”  The mind reader glanced about, scanning for people listening to her before focusing on the shrine maiden once more. “I am concerned about Okuu, however.”

Reimu turned her way, tilting her head.  “What’s wrong?”

“Her mind…”  She held her chin as she considered her words.  “Since we arrived, her mind has been… filling with static.  It's becoming hard to read her, and well… you've seen how much she's been listening.”

A wave of concern washed over the shrine maiden's mind as she gave the hell raven a glance, doing her best not to draw attention.  While her sister and aunt picked up on her look, the Moriya clan paid her no heed.

Memories swirled around the shrine maiden’s head, each pertaining to the gods she knew or learned about.  Information swirled around each one, organizing the thoughts to usefulness. Rising above the others was a shadow of Utsuho back in the palace, standing with Orin and Satori herself.  Behind her, the clock showed the time to be centered on early morning.

“She seemed to be fine this morning.”  Satori answered, before Reimu could actually ask.  Once again, the thoughts within the girl’s mind sorted themselves.  “And she appeared to be fine for most of the trip. Granted, it’s not as if I were closely monitoring her, either.  She was beside me and showed no signs of anything odd.”

“I see…”  Thoughts of the shrine’s gods came to the surface; their power causing a smoke screen within the shrine.  The thought began to fade. “The powers of my gods might be interfering with hers while within the shrine, but… it usually takes a conscious effort to do that, and I don’t see why they would.”

“Hm, well I- ah…” She paused as people finished their meal, their minds turning back to the task at hand.  While no one had said anything yet, she knew their time without attention became very limited. “We will have to investigate this later, I suppose.  At the very least, it does not seem to be worsening, and her health seems to be sound.”

“At any rate,” Marisa grunted, pushing herself up from the table, “the meal’s done and the story’s over, so I’ll let you get back to your thing.  Plates, everyone…”

 

Despite Satori’s most fervent of wishes, Kanako had not come down with a sudden case of laryngitis during the meal, meaning their meeting continued onward.  To make matters worse for the mind reader, the god’s pitch was reaching the point which required feedback from Satori, requiring her to pay more attention. One run-in with the doll had been enough to keep her on task.

“...Divinity Reiuji?”

The hell raven’s eyes slowly wandered back to those at the table before looking at the mediator.

“...sorry, what?”  Utsuho cocked her head.  Satori could see embers begin to glow in the war god’s anger.  Before Kanako could repeat her question, Reimu turned her way, holding up a hand apologetically.

“Apologies Divinity Yasaka; please remember it was a long trip-”

Within Reimu’s mind, there was a bright flash of understanding as she spoke.  Satori sat upright; she could see a crystal clear picture of Utsuho standing in core of Old Hell, wires running from her body into the surrounding machinery.  All around screens and wires flashed on beat, keeping the mediator’s speech continuing without pause.

“-for them, and they rarely travel so far;-”

As Satori herself and Orin appeared next to the hell raven in Reimu’s mind, a klaxon went off.  Surrounding monitors flashing the insignia of the Moriya clan as Utsuho’s image became full of noise, almost disappearing from sight.

“-I believe it’s safe to say between the long travel and the importance of this meeting, stress has begun to take a toll on all present.”

“Ah.” Kanako nodded; the embers cooling.  “That’s very true; I apologize.”

As the god spoke, radials of information opened and collapsed around Reimu’s head; decisions made faster than what Satori could read on subjects she was unable to view; she could see the image begin to change.

“I believe this may be a good stopping point for today; we have gone over many a great things, and it may be prudent to take some time to consider what has been said, and what is being offered.”

As Reimu turned to the mind reader, Satori could hear the klaxon end; the two groups sat as they did in the shrine, though she could feel the setting in the mindscape situated somewhere within the capital.

“Lady Komeiji, since you have traveled so far for our sake this time, would you like the next meeting to take place in Old Hell?  I believe all present here know the way, or at the very least, know people within the group who could guide them.”

“Ah…”  The mind reader continued to stare at the girl.  “Y- yes. That… that will be fine.” She cleared her throat, looking over the others present.  “I… believe I can locate a suitable venue, yes.”

“Well,”  Everyone stood as Kanako pushed herself up, “in that case, I suppose we should get going, then.  Lady Komeiji, I’m glad we were able to meet one another.”

“Mm.”  She gave the gods a slight bow as Hourai guided them out.

Satori turned her attention back to the shrine maiden as Orin and Utsuho stretched; her mind returned to its serene state as she straightened out the table, thinking of Gensokyo and her friends.

“ _You_ are the most dangerous one here.” The mind reader murmured.  Reimu blinked in surprise, her mindscape smushing once more.

“I- I’m sorry?”  The girl smiled nervously.  Satori sighed.

“Who taught you how to manage people?”

“Oh, Auntie Mima was my teacher for diplomacy and mediation.”  Reimu beamed. “She’s an excellent teacher!”

“...I see.”  Satori shook her head, recalling the reason her and Mima did not talk much in the past was because magician’s mind frightened her.  “At any rate, thank you for ending the meeting. While she might not have been as malicious as I initially thought, she is far too in love with the sound of her own voice…”  She paused as Reimu handed her paperwork. “‘My notes’? What-”

“For what the meeting was about.”  The shrine maiden grinned sheepishly.  “I thought you might want to go over them before the next meeting, to be… better informed.”

Satori narrowed her eyes.

“...I thought I was the only mind reader here.”

“The expression of ‘bored of their mind and not paying attention’ is one often seen here, Satori.”  Hourai chimed in as she took her seat on Reimu’s shoulder.

“Hm.  So.” Satori peered at the shrine maiden once more, her hands on her cane.  “What was it about Okuu which made you…” She trailed off, realizing Reimu was not going to know what she was talking about.  “...bring the meeting to an end, let’s say.”

Once more, the image of the hell raven tethered to the core formed in Reimu’s mind as the girl looked up at the god.

“...I believe her new powers have tied her to the core.”  She spoke softly, smiling at the bronze giant before turning back to Satori.  “You had told me before her job is to regulate the heat of Old Hell, correct?”

“Yes…”

“According to Reisen and Sanae, the structure in which I met Miss Reiuji is called a fusion reactor.  According to Divinity Yasaka, given the Yatagarasu’s powers, they were going to be able to control it… I’m guessing their mission carried over with their power.”

“Still, what made you so certain?  That was _not_ the thought of a simple guess.”

Memories of the meeting filtered through the shrine maiden’s mind; Utsuho’s interruptions were indexed and organized, along with their talk of the hell raven during lunch.

“Ah, her interruptions were always regarding the core and what it could do…” Satori nodded.  “Guess you were listening better than I…”

“Given the timing of when she became distracted, and your own flagging interest in the meeting, I knew you would be at a disadvantage for anything concrete being set.  While I really do think her plan will help everyone, I don’t wish to see anyone enslaved in order for it to succeed.”

“It’s not as if I would have a problem breaking such a contract,” the mind reader shrugged, “but I suppose I can see- _how do you know Shiki and Komachi?_ ”

The shrine maiden took a step back in surprise.  As the mind reader began to relax from seeing the incident in Reimu’s head, her head snapped in Hourai’s direction as she saw a different scene.

“You-” she stared dumbfounded at Reimu.  “ _You slapped the Yamaxanadu?!_ ”

“Seriously?!”  Orin reached over her master and held out a hand, smiling broadly.  “High-five, sis!”

As the mind reader shooed her pet away, Hourai covered her face, groaning loudly.

“I am _so sorry, Reimu._  I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s hard to control your reactionary thoughts,” Reimu whispered, patting the doll’s legs, “I understand.”

“At any rate, yes, the Yamaxanadu would likely take umbrage if I broke an official contract with a divine being,” Satori nodded, getting the information she needed during the distraction, “but again, it would not stop me.  That said, I suppose we _should_ try to do the right thing.”

“That is appreciated, my Lady.”  Reimu bowed. “Once again, I thank you for your visit; please let us know if my theory is correct and Miss Reiuji returns to normal-”

“Seriously, just call her ‘Okuu’.  If she pays attention, she’s going to get a big head.”

“-when you get closer to home.”

“Mm.”  She nodded.  “We shall.”

“Well then, I wish you a safe trip and- um…”  Reimu trailed off as Utsuho picked her up. “Miss- Miss Reiuji, I’m afraid I can’t-”

“Ah, don’t worry about it.”  The hell raven shook her head as she walked towards the door; Satori gripped her temples in frustration.

Utsuho came to a halt as a very tired Minoriko appeared in front of her, still in her night robe.  Unsure if the smiling harvest god could actually see through her squinted eyes, the hell raven tried to shuffle to the side.

“Ah, no Divinity.”  Minoriko’s smile split into a grin as she once again impeded the hell raven’s escape.  “I believe you have something of mine… and I believe my sister already gave you an answer on what you’re trying to do.”

“Aw, come on.”  Utsuho rolled her eyes, bouncing the shrine maiden in her arms to get a better grip.  “Let me just borrow her for-”

Minoriko opened an eye.

Utsuho found herself taking a step back, her train of thought derailed.

“We are… _very_ jealous of her attention, Divinity Reuji.”  The harvest god stated as she stepped towards her.  Letting out an irritated sigh, Utsuho hunched over to lower Reimu to the ground.  Smiling at her shrine maiden, Minoriko wrapped an arm around Reimu as she looked back at Utsuho.  “Her friendships we do not mind; that is her life, and she’s made many people quite happy, along with herself.  But… we will not share her attention. Not yet.”

“I don’t want her to pray to me,” Utsuho folded her arms, looking indignant.  “I just want to keep her for awhile.”

Minoriko continued to stare up at the bronze giant.

“...no.”

 

“...and not long after that, we saw them out and they went back home.”  Reimu concluded as she helped Alice with preparation for dinner. “Lady Satori contacted us a bit before you arrived, she said Utsuho started getting better once they reached the entrance to the underground.”

“Well, that’s good.”  The puppeteer nodded as she added spices.  “Sounds like everything went as well as to be expected, then.  Hopefully Satori will be able to find a spot for the next meeting; from what was said earlier, it doesn’t sound like she’s the most popular person in Old Hell.”

“I think she said she already had that taken care of.”

 

* * *

 

“Hanrehan, knock that shit off!”  The bartender roared over the evening rush.  All throughout the Cock n’ Bull Tavern were rowdy oni and youkai, taking the edge off after a long day.

Before she could deliver a threat to the obnoxious patron, the doors to the tavern slammed open, one held back by an arm covered in velvet, and another the colour of bronze.  The noise quickly died down as a massive hell crow ducked under the doorframe and entered, casting a withering glare over everyone. Next to her was a kasha, her flaming eyes sized the others up as she smirked.

Dark mutterings turned to fearful whispers as the sound of a cane tip striking the ground echoed through the room.

“So,” a voice called, causing the hairs on the back of the bartender’s neck to stand on end, “Hoshiguma tells me you have _magnificent_ rooms for parties… and events.”

Standing between the two was the Master of Chireiden, Satori Komeiji.  The mind reader smiled.

“And it sounds like one just opened up.  I would like to rent that.”

 

* * *

 

“Sounds like it should all be ready to go, then.”  Alice nodded, washing everything dirty as the food cooked.

“Yeah.”  Drying what Alice finished, Reimu looked up at the puppeteer.  “Were you successful in your trip?”

“Yes, I was…” her hands paused as she thought, “I got what Mima asked of me.”

The shrine maiden touched her friend’s back.  “If it’s alright to tell me, what did she want you to get?”

Alice glanced down.

“...a memory.  From Tewi.”

 

* * *

 

“How many?”  The shrine maiden asked as the other stood behind, keeping watch.  Tewi stared out in shock, her breathing shallow.

“I- I don’t know.”  Her own voice sounded far away.  “The- wards… they- she corrupted them.  All the guards…

The shrine maiden closed her eyes and sighed.

“...I’m sorry.”

“I just…”  Her head began to spin; she could feel her throat try to constrict as her stomach roiled.  “How could she-”

“There!”  The other maiden screamed, throwing up a shield.  It immediately buckled and dissipated, taking the blast meant to kill them.

“ **HAKUREI…!** ” A voice screamed in fury.

“No…!”  Tewi whispered, her legs locking up.  Hovering before them was the dread lich Mima, shaking with unbound fury.

“Go!”  The first shrine maiden pushed the terran bunny back as the other charged forward.

The image came to a standstill as Mima’s face came into sharp focus one last time.  Next to it was the image of Marisa from her second encounter with Alice, betraying the same raw anger as her mother possessed.

Another scene moved in, showing Marisa’s first fight with Kanako, her eyes carrying the same hate as the others.

More and more images of Marisa surrounded the scene of the lich.  The magician dry wiped her mouth as she stared in numb horror.

“I’m… sorry it took me so long to realize it.”  Mima murmured, looking at the image of herself. “I never considered how that could transfer as well.”

Marisa chewed on her lip, blinking back her tears.

“I… wanted to be certain before I brought this up.”

“...how long?”  The magician got out, tearing her eyes away from the images.

“...there’s a chance it may never break through.”  Mima started, her tone carrying doubt. “But, if nothing changes… under a decade, most likely.”

“...can it be fixed?”

Mima placed her hands on her daughter’s shoulders, touching their foreheads together.  “...I don’t know.” She whispered. Marisa’s tears began to fall. “While all problems have a solution… time is usually the damning factor.  I wish I could tell you I know what to do, but… even my own rancor continues to plague me.”

“Who else- who else knows?”

“I…”  The lich took a deep breath.  “I had to tell Yukari. I promised Reimu I would help her defend this land, and… you know I can’t turn against you.  Her knowing ahead of time is the only way she could hope to stop the both of us.”

She felt Marisa nod.

“Alice knows… I had to ask for her own memories, along with the one from Tewi.  And… even if she didn’t tell her directly, it’s safe to say Tewi knows.”

“... no one else?”

“Others… have noticed your anger and violence, but nothing concrete.  But it wouldn’t surprise me if Suika pieced it together.”

Marisa gripped her skirt as she kept her eyes down, unable to see the floor between them.

“Marisa,” the lich pulled her daughter close, “I may not have an answer for you yet, but you're not alone.  We won't abandon you. We won't leave you over this.”

A sob shook the magician's body.  Another followed as her mental defenses continued to crumble.  Mima held her tightly.

“Whatever you need, whatever you want to do to try to fix this, we will help you.   _I_ will help you.” She whispered.  “I just… I don't want to lose you.”

“I…  I'm scared, Ma.”

Her grip tightened around her daughter; Mima could feel her own eyes begin to sting.  “I’m scared too, sweetie.”

 

* * *

 

Closing the door to her mother’s room, Marisa slowly made her way down the hall.  She stared at her shuffling feet, her own body feeling foreign to her. Waves of anxiety brought on churning nausea, each fighting for her attention within her.  Underneath the physical turmoil, she could feel the anger.

The constant, low-level aggression humming in the background had never bothered her before; the magician was unsure of how long it had been there.  After the meeting with her mother, she wondered if there had ever been a time it had been absent.

Her shuffling steps came to a stop as she held her forehead; she could feel the cracks in her defenses as her emotions threatened to overwhelm her once more.

“Marisa.”

The magician lowered her arm to see her sister standing before her.

“Oh… s-sorry Reimu,” she felt herself try to smile, “I don’t- I don’t think I can eat right now…”

The shrine maiden held out her arms, smiling softly.

“Come here.”

Marisa’s vision blurred as she approached her sister.  Standing on her tiptoes, Reimu wrapped her arms around the magician’s shoulders.

“It’s okay.”

“I- I don’t… think it is.”  Marisa sniffed; the warmth of Reimu’s embrace softened the barriers around her turbulent emotions.

“It’s okay.”  She repeated, her tone retaining the same serene sound.

“I don’t know what to do…”

“It’s okay.”  Reimu’s feet touched the ground as Marisa’s legs started to give.  The shrine maiden continued to hold her sister as she guided her to the floor.  “We’re here for you.”

A low wail escaped her lips.

“Just as you’ve always been here for us, we’re here for you.”

Sinking to her knees, Marisa gripped the shrine maiden’s clothes as she cried louder, feeling the gentle brushing of her sister’s hands on the back of her head.

“So it’s okay.”  Reimu held Marisa to her chest.  “Just let it all out of your system now.”

The magician’s cried echoed throughout the shrine as she bared her heart, letting the pain bleed out.  Reimu continued to hold her sister, gently combing her hair as the magician broke down.

 

“Now… put this under your tongue and let it dissolve.”

Marisa took the pill from her sister and followed her instructions.  Within moments, her pounding headache dissipated.

“Where’d you get those?”  Marisa flinched at her own gravelly voice.

“Reisen gave them to me.”  The shrine maiden glanced down, fidgeting.  “Her stories about her past sometimes… were really bad.  She had Doctor Eirin whip up something to help my crying headaches.  She _did_ advise not to take more than one every twenty-four hours, though.”

The magician smiled warily.  The absence of the headache left her body feeling hollow; she was unsure if she could even stand.  As the shrine maiden sat down next to her, Hourai brought her a glass of water.

Reimu leaned against Marisa, interlocking their fingers.  The doll sat on her shoulder.

“Do you want to take a break from incident solving?”

Finishing the glass, Marisa looked at the opposite wall.  She tried to think about what her sister was asking, but her head remained full of static.

“...do you think I should?”  She asked.

The shrine maiden shrugged.

“I don't know.”  She gave her sister a sidelong stare.  “But I know if there was an incident and you had a broken arm, there’s no way Auntie would let you leave the house.”

Marisa let out a low laugh.  Reimu smiled.

“After the meeting, I told Lady Satori that I didn’t want anyone to be enslaved for Gensokyo to prosper.  You’re also part of that everyone, Marisa.”

“I just…” The magician sighed.  “I don’t know if it would help; I know I would be worried the whole time, and I’d… I’d probably wonder if I was of any use anymore.”

The shrine maiden’s brow twitched.

“I… hope you’re not trying to imply that your only use to me is to be my shield.”

Marisa could feel the corners of her lips curl up as the annoyance in her sister’s voice registered in her head.

“Because that would make me cry.”

“Look-”  The magician weakly motioned with her hand.  “If you know how to fuckin’ make my brain stop sayin’ shit like that to me, I’d like to hear it.”

Letting go of Marisa’s hand, Reimu sat in her sister’s lap and hugged her.  The magician sighed, bumping their heads together.

“...yeah, arright; that works.”

“How about…”  Hourai touched her cheek.  “We start taking along a couple others with us?  It might help you to have a team to work with. I don’t mean like when we had the Flower View incident-” She added quickly, “But… just one or two others.  It might help you a lot if you aren’t _always_ the one that has to fight; give yourself proper recharge time and all that.”

“We can bring it up with the others.”  Reimu chimed in, “see who won’t mind us asking at a moment’s notice about such things.”

“Mm.”  The magician nodded.

“But for now,” the shrine maiden helped her sister stand, “let’s get you to bed.  We can talk about this more tomorrow okay? And remember: you won’t have to deal with this alone.  We love you Marisa.”

“...thanks Reimu; thanks Hourai.  I- I love the both of you, too.”

Helping the magician to bed, Reimu and Hourai kept their vigil over Marisa’s sleep, keeping her nightmares at bay.  Though a restless night for the Hakurei Shrine, another day dawned upon Gensokyo.


End file.
